Pesti Career Day is the largest recruitment event in Northern Finland and is held annually. The event has been organized continuously since the 1990s (except for the COVID-19 period). Its origins date back to the economic recession of the early 1990s, when the event was created to support the employment of engineering students. Over the years, Pesti Career Day has grown significantly, and today it continues to attract strong interest from a wide range of companies.
Pesti Career Day is particularly important for ICTOulu, as the event aims to bring local and national companies to the university and create a collaborative environment between students and employers. It also plays an encouraging role for companies to hire students and recently graduated professionals who are looking to grow in their careers.
This year, Pesti Career Day was held on 15 January 2026 at the University of Oulu’s Linnanmaa campus. This article reports on the day, the atmosphere, and the opportunities the event provided for participants.
Strong ICT presence & atmosphere
On a cold but bright winter day in Oulu, it was inspiring to see so many companies represented at the Linnanmaa campus to share information, collaborate, and showcase their activities. Both student and company participation were extremely high, and the overall atmosphere was vibrant and lively.
As Pesti Career Day primarily focuses on engineering students, it was not surprising to see a strong presence of IT and ICT companies at the event. The venue was very crowded throughout the day, and there were many active and engaging discussions taking place at the stands.
It was truly inspiring to see students showing such strong interest and initiative by engaging in conversations with companies that are looking to collaborate and offer professional opportunities to future ICT professionals.
International talent & language
As ICTOulu, we visited as many company stands as possible to gather insights relevant to students and newly graduated ICT professionals. Based on these conversations, several key observations emerged.
Many companies are open to English-speaking candidates, as English is often the main working language within their teams. Several employers noted that international and English-speaking candidates are generally welcomed, especially in technical roles.
International students are increasingly seen as part of the local talent pipeline. Many companies expressed interest in hiring international talent alongside local candidates.
At the same time, language and security requirements still apply for certain roles. Some companies mentioned that security clearance requirements can limit their ability to hire international talent. However, several also expressed willingness to review or potentially adjust these requirements in the future.
In addition, some companies noted that they are not currently hiring but participated in the event primarily for visibility. Despite this, they were open to discussions, networking, and showcasing their products and services. This highlights another important role of Pesti Career Day—not only as a recruitment event for students, but also as a visibility and networking platform for companies.
Projects and collaboration
BusinessOulu projects, such as MEREBE, were also represented at the recruitment fair. The MEREBE project aims to establish a center of excellence in microelectronics and related software industries by strengthening know-how, training, and R&D activities through collaboration between businesses, educational institutions, and research organizations.
It was inspiring to see companies and projects ready to collaborate, exchange ideas, and recruit students for summer jobs, trainee positions, and thesis work.
Why Pesti Career Day matters
Recruitment fairs like Pesti Career Day play an important role in keeping Oulu’s ICT ecosystem vibrant and innovative. They offer valuable opportunities for students to connect with employers and for companies to support the next generation of professionals.
Finding summer jobs or traineeships in Finland can sometimes be challenging. January is a key period when many companies open their summer recruitment calls, often with limited positions available. Students in the ICT field are encouraged to explore opportunities by visiting the list of ICT companies in the ICTOulu ecosystem, where company websites are linked directly and current open positions can be found.
Overall, Pesti Career Day continues to serve as an inspiring platform that connects students, companies, and projects, and strengthens collaboration within Oulu’s ICT ecosystem.
Written by Rana Toro